Miami Dolphins: 3 Ways Phins Can Make Ryan Tannehill More Successful

The Miami Dolphins have made many improvements over the past couple of years to make their team more competitive in the AFC.

They will have a hard time winning the AFC East as long as Tom Brady is still the Patriots quarterback. However, Ryan Tannehill has the ability to lead the team to a wild-card spot and prove the doubters wrong.

The Miami Dolphins drafted Tannehill with the No. 8 pick in the draft. He was the Dolphins first quarterback drafted in the first round since Dan Marino in 1983. He is also the Dolphins 17th starting quarterback since Marino retired.

More Balanced Offense

In five years with the Saints, Bush failed to rush for over 600 yards in any season. This was mostly due to Bush’s injuries.

When he joined the Dolphins in 2011, he was determined to prove all the doubters wrong. He rushed for 1,086 yards on 216 attempts. He’s currently on pace for over 1,200 yards.

Tannehill has thrown the ball 169 times, the 13th-highest in the NFL. Bush has rushed the ball 86 times, which has him ranked ninth among running backs. For Ryan Tannehill to lead the Dolphins to success, he needs have more balance with the pass and run.

Marshawn Lynch is in the lead with 113 attempts, whose quarterback is rookie Russell Wilson. Wilson has only thrown the ball 125 times. The Seattle Seahawks are currently 3-2, while the Dolphins are 2-3.

Using the Seahawks as an example, they have a more balanced offense. The Dolphins can do the same with Reggie Bush. If Tannehill can lower his attempts per game and increase the amount of touches Bush gets, there will be less pressure on Tannehill to win them the game.

Time in the Pocket

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The Miami Dolphins offensive line has a total of 19 years of experience. The NFL average is 26.8 years. The Dolphins’ line is mixed with experienced and young players.

Jake Long has been in the league for five years. He’s been selected to three Pro Bowls. The Dolphins drafted center Mike Pouncey with the 15th pick in the 2011 draft. They also have guard Richie Incognito, who bounced around from the St. Louis Rams to the Buffalo Bills before landing with the Dolphins in 2010.

Despite the lack of experience in the offensive line, Ryan Tannehill has only been sacked 10 times. Kevin Kolb leads the league in sacks with 22. The Arizona Cardinals offensive line has a total of 29 years experience, 10 more years than the Dolphins.

As long as the young offensive line can hold off the pass-rushers, Tannehill can build his confidence and make the smart decisions to lead his team to victory.

Staying Competitive Throughout the Game

The Miami Dolphins are currently tied for last place in the AFC East. In their three losses, they were outscored 77-51, including a 20-point loss to the Houston Texans.

In that Week 1 game against the Texans, Miami was winning at the end of the first quarter 3-0. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub went 3-of-7 for 43 yards and was sacked once.

However, their defense couldn’t hold up as the Texans scored 24 unanswered points. As a result, Ryan Tannehill was forced to throw the ball to keep the Dolphins in the game. He threw three interceptions in the second quarter.

In order for Tannehill to be a successful quarterback, the defense needs to keep their opponents out of the end zone. If they can do that, then Tannehill won’t be pressured to throw the ball as much.